Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why won't the Prime Minister admit childcare fees have increased by 30 per cent under his three-term government?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll invite the Minister for Education to add to this answer. But, on this matter—speaking as the former Minister for Social Services, who had responsibility for child care at the time—it was actually our government that introduced the reform package to child care, which those opposite, when they were in government and when they were in opposition, failed to deliver. That is ensuring that people, particularly on low and middle incomes, are getting access to up to 85 per cent rebates under our government. We got rid of the caps that were applied to those seeking childcare rebates that had previously seen them run out of childcare support by about February and March of every year. So we took action to address the manifold failures that were in the childcare system that turned it into a money pit from what was designed under those opposite when they were in government. I invite the Minister for Education to add to this answer.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Prime Minister, because you have pretty much covered it all—the most comprehensive reforms ever undertaken in our history, which will see $10 billion going into child care. What has this meant? Out-of-pocket expenses have dropped by 7.9 per cent for Australian parents. We are going to make sure that we keep on delivering affordable child care of high quality for Australian parents. Those opposite were not doing that. You failed to do that. It was only through the reforms led by the Prime Minister that we've got the outcomes that we see in child care. Prime Minister, I commend you for what you did, because you have put this sector on the right path.